Shine Through The Pain
by Astgal
Summary: Continues after the movie! Haku has to work for a few more years before being freed. Chihiro's being kidnapped. But...by who? Will she manage to escape in time? Or will she lie in the hands of her kidnapper? Read and find out! R&R please!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer : I don't own Spirited Away. No nada nana~! Aww… ( crys )

:::Chapter 1 :::

"Promise we'll meet again?"

"Promise. Now, go! And don't look back till you have passed the tunnel."

Hands slipping away, Haku watched as Chihiro ran towards her parents. He stood there, watching her with sad green eyes...watching her stop and turned her head back then restrained from doing so and continued running again. He continued watching till all he could see of her was a tiny dot as she entered the tunnel. Haku then changed into his silvery dragon form and flew back to the bathhouse and into Yubaba's chamber.

He stood there in the shadows for a moment, recollecting all the time he spent with his love, Chihiro. He knew he loves her and she him, but the answer as to whether they would meet again was in Yubaba's hands. 

Gaining courage from his memories of Chihiro, Haku was about to step out into the light when Yubaba's voice spoke out," Talk whatever you want and don't stand in the shadows. You have been standing there for quite a while and could have been considered a live statue, seeing that you did not move at all."

Not showing any emotion on his face as he stepped out, he finally stopped in front of Yubaba's desk. Haku stood there silently for a moment on how he should go about on the matter.

"Hurry up. I don't have all day," Yubaba said, looking up from her desk where she was counting her jewels.

Haku spoke up, " I want to terminate my contract with you. I want to quit being your assistant. I have been your assistant for a long time, Yubaba, and I want to quit now."

" It's all because of the human girl, isn't it? What's her name? Chihiro? I know that the reason you are quitting is because of your promise to her but-"

" How do you know-"

" I know everything that happens in the Spirit World, Haku. Now, as to what I was saying just now before your interruption, I know that you promised that you would see her again. But you can't just terminate your contract immediately," She paused, putting a jewel into her jewel box, all the while thinking," How about you work for another 5 years before I allow you to quit, eh? It's either working for a few years before you quit or working for a long time before **_I_** allow you to quit? What's your choice?"

Knowing that he had no choice, he had to agree or risk working for a long time before Yubaba allows him to quit. Long time meaning a **_very_** long time...

" Okay, fine. I work for another 5 years and you allow me to quit. I also want to keep my name."

"Deal. Now, just sign your name on this contract and everything's done." Saying that, Yubaba produced a contract and Haku signed it once looking over it.

" Now, go back to work. I want you to supervise the workers! There's going to be important guests coming tonight! I want the place clean in 3 hours! Now, go!"

" Yes, Yubaba. " With that, Haku walked out of the door. He vowed to himself that he would never forget the day he made the deal with Yubaba… June 14th 2003.


	2. chpt1

:::Chapter 1:::

****

5 years later…

The wind rustled the green leaves of the trees that stood close together, as though forming a protective circle around the park. The ball of sunlight shone high in the blue sky, with clouds floating in patches, carefree, and moving according to the wind. It was a Sunday and families were out for a picnic in the park, seeing that the weather was just fine, not too hot and not too cool. Noises made by the little kids as they played could be heard by anyone who passed by the park. 

Laughter, cheerful voices calling out, birds chirping happily, kids shouting as they played catching. It all summed up to a happy atmosphere. It could even be portrayed as a picture where the people were happy. Well, **_almost_**.

In the middle of all the clearing where all the families were sitting, there sat a lone girl, in a white T-shirt with the words, "Hey!" in black and a pair of denim jeans, under a big oak tree. Her brown hair shone under the bright sunlight as she raised her head from what she was doing on her lap, and breathed in the fresh air. She looked around her in her brown eyes and what she said made her heart bleed. People, happy and carefree. Kids, playing around without a care for the world. Teenagers around her age, together with their boyfriend or girlfriends. 

She went back to her drawing, where she continued to draw a dragon. Upon finishing it, she coloured it with her colour pencils. She held the picture in front of her and admired it. The dragon was of a silvery colour with a teal green mane. But what she liked the most was the pair of green eyes. She placed it on her lap and was about to lean back against the trunk of the old oak tree to rest when a female voice called out to her.

" Chihiro!"

" Wha-?" 15-year-old Chihiro looked around her till she spotted Yume, her best friend ever since she came into this town, 5 years ago. Her blushing cheeks were still there and it was one thing about her appearance that had not changed. Over the years, she had matured and grown into a beautiful lady. She had kept her hair long and had not cut it. She always wore it up in a high ponytail, just like before.

Chihiro stood up to hug her best friend when she came to a skidding halt in front of her. 15-year-old Yume had black hair down her waist and usually tie it up in a braid. She had light blue eyes and was almost as tall as Chihiro, who was 5 feet and 5 inches.

" Chihiro, what are you doing out here alone? You could have phoned me and we could have gone shopping. I was so bored that I had to shop in the mall all by myself! All the others are busy with one thing or another and no one answered the phone when I called your house. By the way, aren't your parents at home?" Yume finally stopped for a breather and waited for Chihiro to answer.

" Whoa! Where did all that come from one single breath?" They laughed and Chihiro continued," My dad and mum are in town shopping. You want to stay here with me? I want to complete the finishing touches on my drawing."

Yume look at the drawing on her lap and said," Hmm…You love dragons very much, don't you? I guess it's because of that dragon guy, Kohaku, right? Speaking of dragons," She searched in her overalls," I bought this little dragon statue for you. It looks exactly like the dragons you have drawn."

" Thanks a lot, Yummi! I love it! Thank you!"

" Hey, no problem. I just saw it and couldn't resist to buy it for you, Sen."

Chihiro had been in the new town for 5 years. For the first week or so, no one in school wanted to be friends with her cause they thought that she was mousy and quiet. True, she _was_ quiet during classes and when she was around her classmates, but that had only been because she was new around that area and had not known anyone, lest of all a friend. 

Finally, during her lunch break, a girl in her class befriended her…

:::_Flashback_**:::**

10-year-old Chihiro sat alone under a Sakura tree. The blossoms had just bloomed and the whole tree was full of them. She picked up her lunch box and opened it to eat. As she took a bite of her sandwich, a girl in her class walked up to her.

" Hey…Chihiro, right? You mind if I sit with you?" Not waiting for her answer, the black-haired girl plopped down on the grassy ground beside Chihiro.

" I'm Yume," She continued as she saw Chihiro opened her mouth to introduce herself, " You're Chihiro. I know. So, where did you come from?"

As they talked, Chihiro became friends with Yume, then best friends as time passed by. They were always together. 

And as finding a friend, Chihiro opened up during classes and around her other classmates. People soon started to like her as she was polite, smart, beautiful and among many other things And so began Chihiro's life in a new town…

:::Flashback ended**::: **

After knowing Yume for a year and knowing that she could keep any secrets, Chihiro finally told her about the Spirit World and her adventure there. She also told her what had happened and about her friends but mostly, of 

Haku. Chihiro even described Haku to her. She also told her about the promise that the both of them had made and that even though Haku had not met her, she would not give up hope. _"Haku always keeps his promise,"_ Chihiro had said back then. 

Now 5 years had passed and Yume had never once doubted her words, knowing that Chihiro was not one to lie and her honesty when she spoke of her adventure just went to prove that she was speaking the truth. Currently, only she and Chihiro knew about the Spirit World.

Sketching a bit more, Chihiro stood up and dusted her jeans. " Finally, I've completed my drawing. You want to come to my house for a snack? Maybe we can go to the theater to catch a movie or something…"

" Sure! You don't know how glad I am to have company instead of being alone to shop!"

Laughing, they raced to her house to see who's the faster one. After that, they went to the theater to catch a movie called, " The Last Hour."

They were oblivious to a pair of eyes that were observing their every move…Planning evil plans… 


	3. chpt2

::Chapter 2::

' Soon, Chihiro. Just one more month and I shall be freed. My promise will then be fulfilled. Wait for me…' Haku thought as he flew in the night sky in his dragon form. His green eyes brightened up at the thought of Chihiro as he flew through some drifting clouds, his green mane pushed back by the wind. 

Chihiro, the girl, who had befriended him whom everyone had been afraid of because of his authority over them. Chihiro, who had trusted him, believed him and…loved him. She even went to Zeniba's house to apologise on his behalf. She had risked her life to go to Zeniba's house, uncertain of whatever dangers that could face her way. Yet, she **_still_** went on the journey. 

Haku stretched his long, flowing body. Yesterday, a lot of Spirits had arrived at the bathhouse. He had been running all round the bathhouse, supervising the workers, as Yubaba didn't have any mission for him. Speaking of Yubaba, she had, surprisingly, given the workers a rest that night. 

' Probably because of those rich Turnip Spirits who turned up yesterday. She's probably busy counting all the gold she had earned right now.' Haku thought idly. 

Flying around for a few more minutes, he decided to rest for the night. He flew gracefully through his window and landed in his greenish-blue room. His futon lie in the southeast corner of the room where the sliding door was, further down from it. A desk and drawers stood opposite of the futon. They were painted chocolate-brown and stationery was sprawled on the table. Six feet away to the side of his futon, a light brown closet stood by its own, storing Haku's clothes. 

Haku walked over to his futon and crawled underneath the blankets, finally settling down to sleep when he found a comfortable spot. As he slept, he dreamt of Chihiro and him, together for the first time in 5 years…

The final school bell rang, signaling the end of the day's lessons. All at once, doors of classrooms slammed open and the hallway was full of students trying to get to their lockers. Students were talking, joking, laughing, gossiping, shouting and all of these added up to the noise that filled up the whole hallway.

Chihiro and Yume walked out of class 9E. They were laughing as their classmate, Vreina, who had a reputation of being a big flirt, had tripped when going up to answer a question. She had tripped on her high heel shoes and had landed right at the feet of the teacher, Ms Luvi. Ms Luvi was their History teacher and she had gotten along well with her pupils, having a friendly personality.

As they walked towards their lockers, which was side by side, Chihiro bumped into a person wearing a black T-shirt and pants. When she turned to apologise, she found herself staring into a pair of white eyes, which had no pupils. She gasped and blinked, wondering if her eyes had played a trick on her when, all of a sudden, the person was gone. Chihiro turned around to find the person, but he was nowhere in sight.

'Strange. I could have sworn that I **had** knocked into a guy…But he's not around…' Chihiro wondered as she joined Yume, who was waiting for her further up the hallway. She wondered whether it had been her imagination and that she had **_not_** knocked into anyone at all.

Yume said as Chihiro walked up to join her," Hey, what were you doing? I turned around to find you far behind me, looking around as though you were searching for something."

Chihiro looked around once more and finally decided that she had not knocked into anyone at all. After all, nobody could leave that hallway **_that_** fast, what with all the pupils swarming around.

Murmuring a reply, they went on their way, talking about the party that their classmate had thrown that day and what they were going to wear. Yet, Chihiro had this strange and constant feeling that someone was watching her…watching her every single move. It gave her the creeps. 

They were at the mall shopping for that night's party. School had ended an hour ago and they had been here for a half-hour, eating their lunch. Chihiro still could not shake of the nagging feeling that someone was watching her. She forced herself to dismiss it as an over-imaginative thought. Yume had noticed her friend's mood, and had asked her if something was wrong. Chihiro had lied to her, not wanting to worry about it. As an hour went by while they were shopping, Chihiro gradually forgot about the feeling she had and instead, gushed over the prices of the shirts they were looking at.

" Hey, Sen! Look at this shirt! Isn't it cool?"

" Hmm…How does this look on me Yummi?"

Their shopping spree went on and on as hours passed. Soon, they had bought all the stuff they needed for the party that night and each went their separate ways to their houses, planning to meet up later on.

****

" Soon, my little pretty. You'll belong to me once I'm done with you. Soon…"


	4. chpt3

****

:::Chapter 3:::

Even though it was only seven-thirty, the night sky was dotted with bright twinkling stars as clouds drifted by. It was a full moon that night and the moon hung in the middle of the sky, as though it was looking down on Earth and observing it. 

The two-story house shone on its own in the dim neighborhood. Houses near it either had the light dimly lit on or were dark, proclaiming to the whole world that the owners were asleep or were out. 

Music blared in the background as the teenagers talked. It was a sea of colour in the house as the people wore black, pink, white, yellow, and any colours imaginable. Friends talked and huddled into a corner so as to observe the things going on. Some females gossiped about what had happened in their classes that day while eating some pastries, which were on a long dining table about four foot long.

A girl with blonde hair in a braid ran over to the door, yelling, " Chihiro! Yume! You guys have finally arrived! "

Chihiro and Yume stopped talking and they looked up at the excited blonde girl as they walked inside the house. 

" Happy Birthday, Werina! Thanks for inviting us to your party. Oh, yes, this is a birthday gift from Yume and I. Hope you like it!" Chihiro said cheerfully, handing a blue shopping bag to Werina. She and Yume waited for Werina's reaction.

Opening a white box from the shopping bag, Werina opened it to see the two CDs, which she had wanted to have a long time ago, but hadn't had the money. 

" Oh God! I love it! Thank you so much, guys! I can't believe you have bought me these! Thank you!"

With that, Werina ushered her two friends further into the room and soon, Chihiro and Yume went to join their friends who had waved them over. As they continued talking, Chihiro was distracted when she saw the same guy that she had knocked into that day in school. He was in the same black outfit that he had worn in school and was standing near the staircase, which leaded up to the second story of the house. From where Chihiro was standing, he was right across the room from her. Just then, she noticed something that she had not noticed before. The guy was staring at her. His gaze was unwavering and Chihiro felt a shiver ran up her spine when she once saw that his eyes **_were_** white…and had no pupils. She was finally certain that neither her eyes nor the lights were playing a trick on her this time. 

Chihiro excused herself and walked in the direction of the guy. She was not sure why she was doing so though. All she felt was a pull, like an invisible string was pulling her towards him. Just a few yards away from him, the white-eyed guy turned and started walking. 

' Wait… Don't go yet… I need to know who you are and why your eyes are white,' Chihiro wanted to call out to him but found that she was unable to talk. She then finally noticed that her legs were shaking with each step she took. With a shock, it dawned on her that she was shaking with… **_fear_**. 

' But, what am I afraid of?' Chihiro wondered as she followed the man. All of a sudden, the man turned around a corner and disappeared from Chihiro's sight. Chihiro walked faster and as she turned round the corner, she saw that the room in front of her was the kitchen. She stopped abruptly, and searched the entire kitchen, which was full of teenagers, for the white-eyed guy. But no one in the kitchen was wearing black. Yes, there was pink, white, blue and a lot of other colours. But there was no one wearing **_black._**

She tried looking for a door or any other means by which he could probably had left. But, **_no_**… There was no staircase or anything, save for the backdoor. But the door was locked with a padlock so as to prevent unwanted intruders to come in through the back of the house. Chihiro was startled and yet, she felt a comforting feeling of relief run through her.

' Weird,' Chihiro went back to her friends, feelings of dread and curiosity running in her entire body, _' Dread? Why am I feeling like this?'_

Just then, Chihiro had this strong feeling that someone was watching her. She turned around and managed to see a man's face with white eyes against the window, before it went away. She immediately rushed to a near by window and looked out to where she saw the man. She was shocked when she saw what she saw.

' Nothing. No one… That guy can't have moved that fast with the **ten seconds** it took me to get to the window. Anyway, he can't go anywhere other than out of the front gate but there's no one in the front gate. And there's a **pond** next to the window where he was standing! He can't have swum across it! Why do I keep seeing him? **Why?**' Chihiro was starting to get hysterical with the passing moment.

A hand on her shoulder woke her up to her senses. And just before she turned to face the person, she vowed to herself that she would get to the bottom of this mysterious guy…and why he was stalking her wherever she went.

" Hey, Sen. You all right? What's up with you today? You have been acting strange," Yume's blue eyes reflected her concern. 

" Oh, nothing. I'm just tired, I guess. I slept late last night," Chihiro lied, guilty that she had to lie to her best friend, but knowing that she didn't want her to worry.

" Okay then. The girls are getting something to eat. Let's join them!" Allowing Yume to pull her along, Chihiro laughed at her best friend's energetic mood, letting her best friend's hyper and cheerful characteristic rid her of her worries for then.

****

" I have eluded you once again, Sen. But, don't worry. It would not be for long..."

Chihiro never knew that the vow she had made to herself about that white-eyed guy was going to come about sooner than she had expected…**_much sooner_**.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Thanks all those who reviewed my story! Thank you!! You guys made my day! You can't believe how happy I was! ^o^ Well, since this Friday's my brother's birthday, I will dedicate this chapter to him! And to all the reviewers too! Till next time! (Which is after this Thursday's exam. Hopefully I will update this story on Friday…Hopefully =D)

**Astgal**


	5. chpt4

****

:::Chapter 4:::

" Hahaha…You should have should have seen the expression on his face when Yume threw the cake on to his shirt! I wished I had a camera with me! It's so funny!" Werina said to Chihiro.

It was the end of the party. Food was strewn all over the place as Yume had started a food fight. Most of the people who went home either had their clothes dirtied or had cream on their faces. They didn't mind though, after all, it wasn't often that they get to throw food at their rivals or friends. 

" Hey, where's the broom?" Yume's voice called from the kitchen.

" In the brown closet, located near the sink." Werina answered back as she walked to the kitchen.

Chihiro and Yume had stayed back to help their friend in cleaning the house. Luckily for them, Werina's parents were out of town that night or else they would have had a fit seeing all the mess. Werina walked out of the kitchen, holding on to a tablecloth. She wiped the food out the dining table while Chihiro washed the dishes.

It was 10 p.m. and the streets outside were deserted. Occasionally, a cat would walk pass, searching in the trashcans for food. The party had ended fifteen minutes ago, and already the girls had finished cleaning up half of the mess. 

As Chihiro washed the dishes, her mind kept going back to the white-eyed guy. She knew she was afraid, but she was not sure what she was afraid of. Somehow, she had a linking that it had something to do with that guy. 

_' Why do I bother so much? It's not like he's going to kill me or something. I don't even remember making a rival and he certainly is **not **my rival, seeing that I have none. Well, maybe he's just a new kid in school…'_ However, she **knew**, in one way or another, that he wasn't **just** some new kid in school. She somehow felt that he was of greater presence. Someone… who isn't an ordinary human.

After another ten minutes had passed, the once messy and dirty living room was sparkling clean and not even a spot of cream was on the floor. Yume and Chihiro were at the front gate, waving goodbye to Werina. They were just so glad that cleaning up was finally done. Their muscles ached, having scrubbed the ground extremely hard to get the stain off of it. Someone had spilled coffee on to the ground.

Their minds were hazed over with sleepiness and their eyes were extremely drowsy. However, they forced themselves to be more alert of their surroundings once they left through the gate. They certainly **didn't **want any accident to happen to them. 

Since Yume's house was in a different direction from Chihiro's, they left on their separate ways, promising to meet up the next day. Yume turned to face the direction where she was going to walk home, not knowing that Chihiro wasn't going to meet her the next day…

Chihiro walked past a dimly lit lamppost. She looked ahead of her and narrowed her eyes, trying to see whether her blue house was somewhere near yet. Her face lighted up when she spotted it, sitting in a corner of the street. It was covered by the shadows of trees that were standing on the pavement. The shadows made the house from a bright blue during the day, into a dark, gloomy blue when night comes.

Chihiro continued walking briskly, hoping to reach home soon. As she walked past a dark alley, she never heard the light footsteps coming from it. Neither did she notice the pair of hands, grabbing her into the alley. Chihiro was opened her mouth to scream, but a hand covered her mouth, producing muffled noises when her scream of help failed to escape her mouth. 

A sharp pain on her neck made her vision blurry. Her eyes started to close as the sharp, piercing pain dulled to a throbbing. Just before her eyes were closed the last thing she saw was a pair of white eyes…Eyes that she had seen before…Eyes that she knew were devoid of pupils…

****

" I've finally got you, little one. Now, the fun begins..." 

()()()()()()()()()

Hey ya ppl! I want to thank all those people who had given me reviews!!! ^o^I apologise that it's still a cliffhanger in this chapter! Sorry~ I will try to continue this story as soon as possible! For now, I have to get ready to go to my dad's office to celebrate my bro's BD~! Well, so long! Byebye~! 


	6. AN

Hello people,  
  
No, this is not a story chapter. It's an anthor's note. =T Well, I just want to tell you guys who has been reading my story that I will not be updating this story for a few weeks. It's not that I'm having writer's block. I'm having my End-of-the-Year Examinations. I hate the exams, but it's important. Sorry. Anyway, I'm not going to give up on this story if that's what you are thinking! No way! Uh uh... It has too much of my effort in it to just dump it away. Anyway, hopefully I'll update this story on the day of my final exam! ^o^ Hope everyone can wait for a few weeks!   
  
And let's hope that my first computer will be repaired by then, because my second computer doesn't have Microsoft Word! Heh heh... So, till then!   
  
My Promise :   
  
- Updating " Shine Through The Pain " as soon as the exams are finished.  
  
^o^ Heheh, my promise to all of you! Thank you for your reviews and support! =)  
  
*Astgal* 


	7. chpt5

:::Chapter 5:::  

**:::**_Dream_**:::**

_The buildings were deserted. A pair of shoes that were walking broke the silence. The chestnut-brown haired girl walked slowly through the buildings, heading towards a place where she had worked before...The bathhouse._

_            Chihiro examined the buildings. She knew that it was day, thus no one would be working. Everyone was asleep in his or her beds. She grinned. She was glad to be back at the Spirit World. She had missed it for the past 5 years and now, all the memories of everything that had happened here came back into her mind._

_            Lin, Kamaji, Yubaba, Haku, Zeniba... Everyone. She missed them, wondering how they were. She looked up upon discovering that she was already at the bridge._

_            Chihiro gasped in shock._

_            "Haku!"_

_            Running towards the lone figure standing on the bridge, Chihiro wept with tears of joy. At the last few steps, she leap forward and was caught in a dark-haired man's embrace. He smiled at her and hugged her close to him._

_            " Chihiro...Sorry to kept you waiting for these years." Haku whispered into her ear._

_            " It's alright. You are here now! You have kept your promise." Chihiro hugged Haku back._

_            Suddenly, the scenery changed... The bathhouse was shrouded with darkness. The trees and the sea around them disappeared into the gathering blackness, like a misty fog hanging over everything, making them hard to see. Evil laughter echoed around them. _

_            Slowly, the darkness gathered around the couple, as they stared at it in surprise and apprehension. Closer and closer it came, till Haku was also lost in it. His arms that were tight around Chihiro went limp and slowly, they disappeared._

_            "Haku! Haku, where are you? What's **happening** here?" Chihiro cried out as the only person and thing left was her, standing in the middle of the thick darkness. She fell to the dark ground, breathless, and trying hard to gather air into her desperate lungs. Her hands clutched at her chest as she choked and coughed. Her vision turned black, and before she fainted, she thought she saw something white in the darkness..._

_            Something that she thought resembled to a pair of eyes..._

**:::**_ Dream ended_ **:::**

            Gasping, Chihiro snapped open her eyes, breathing in big gulps of air. Her head was throbbing slightly and her eyes were wide with fear. Sweat was dripping from the sides of her forehead. Oblivious to all these and her surroundings, Chihiro tried to calm down.

            "It's just a dream. Nothing but a dream..." Chihiro whispered to herself. "It's not real..."

            Chihiro sat up when her heart finally regained its normal speed. She tried to wipe her sweat away but was shocked when she realised that her hands were tied to the bed she was on. She tried moving her legs but found out that it too was tied. 

            Chihiro tried to stop the flow of shock in her body and tried to recall the events that had happened before she was asleep. Her eyes, at the same time, took in her surroundings. It was dark around her bed, with only a desk to the left side of her and a closet to the right. A door was exactly opposite her, closed. Other than that, there was nothing else. 

            Chihiro slowly recalled that she was going home after separating from Yume. She had walked past an alley when someone had hit her...

            ' _The white-eyed guy! I remember seeing his eyes before blacking out! Wait a minute, I'm tied in a room, and unaware as to where I am...This is **kidnap**_! '  Chihiro's eyes widen at the thought. 

            Just when she was going to think of ways to escape, the door opened. She looked up and saw a man walking in, his eyes gleaming with delight as he smirked at her.

            " Well, well, you have awaken, my dear. Don't be afraid, I'm not going to do anything to you...**_yet_**."

            Chihiro gasped in fear as the man walked slowly to her bed, like a predator stalking its prey. His shadow flickered on the walls, making him look even more dangerous then before. 

            " Who are you? What do you **want** from me?" Chihiro managed to speak out before he stood right in front of her. 

            Silence blanketed around them for a moment, before the guy spoke.

            " My name is Renshi. Now, as to what I want from you... I don't want anything from you. I just want you to be my mate," Renshi cut Chihiro off as she opened her mouth to talk." Reason is very simple. Of all the 200 years I have lived in the Spirit World, you are the only human to be able to leave in you human form, instead of being a pig and eaten. I followed you into the human world. No one in the Spirit World even noticed my absence. Currently, we are still in the human world, only because this building is deserted. Once we are back in the Spirit World, you will be my mate. Other female spirits have rejected me, saying something about me being a pervert and having a psychotic mind.

            " Of course, I don't believe them. After all, I'm myself and who knows me better, other than me? Well, I killed them all for saying something so untrue about me. Stabbed a knife through their eyes before killing them. Tortured them before finishing them off." Renshi laughed evilly, resembling a lunatic who had escaped the mental institute. 

Chihiro fought the urge to gag. He was revolting her with all his stories about killing.  ' '_He's a lunatic! His mind is so twisted to actually torture and kill the innocent spirits! They were right. He is a pervert!_' Chihiro thought.

            " Well," Renshi continued," What's your answer, eh? You want to be my mate? You are worthy of it, you know."

            " Hah! Never! I don't like psychotic people like you! The spirits were right. You are a pervert. Your mind is so evil and twisted! Anyway, I already like someone else, you pervert."

            " Shut up! What do you know?" Renshi roared back, his face growing red. " Since you refused and actually talked back, I will keep you alive longer than those previous spirits. It may be fun to watch you being tortured. Hahaha...I just love to see pained expressions!"

            Moving to stand closer to her, he slowly took out a whip, his white eyes gleaming with madness. His hand came out and took off her purple hair band…the one that Zeniba had given to her.

            " Now, now, I can't waste any of my magic if you have this hair band one, can I? It will all just go down the drain."

            Renshi's arm raised, his black whip clutched tightly in his hand. He smirked.

" _It's time for fun, my little one._"

(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)(^)

Hello!! Haha, yeah, I'm back with a new chapter! ^o^  Hope you all have not given up on me! My last exam, which is today, is finally over!! =D Haha, so glad to be back. Hope you all still like my story! And lastly, I thank all of you for not giving up on me. =D Well, that's all! Till the next chapter! (Which is very soon!) Haha... Till then! Tata~!

* Astgal*


	8. chpt6

:::Chapter 6:::  
  
The sky was of a soft blue with the bright ball of fire shining, yet the town was deserted of people. The leaves rustled, the grass swayed and even the waves of the sea made splashing sounds. Yet, the silvery form that resembled a snake took no notice of these.  
  
The dragon flew through every clouds, with his green mane being blown back till to the force of the passing wind. Haku knew that everyone in the Spirit World was asleep as it was day, and he should be too. But, he had these foreboding feeling that something was wrong, very wrong. He barely had the appetite to eat these few days. He barely slept much too, having woke up, shivering and not knowing why, after a few hours of sleep. Haku hoped that it was nothing, and that it was not a premonition of his beloved Chihiro being harmed.  
  
He immediately pushed the thought away. The feeling of fear had rose in him when he thought that Chihiro was harmed. Haku knew that it was probably that he was thinking too much, as he flew back into his room. He got into his futon and thought of the wonderful times he and Chihiro had spent together. As the thought slowly lured him to sleep, Haku thought of one last thing...  
  
'Chihiro, please just wait. It's only one more week before I am free and able to visit you. Just one...more...week'  
  
The silence in the blue house was broken by the sound of sobbing. Chihiro's father, Mr Ogino, had just phoned the police regarding the disappearance of his daughter. Mrs Ogino sobbed into her hands as she sat down at the couch. Yume tried to comfort her, as she blinked back her own tears.  
  
It had been three days since Chihiro Ogino had disappeared. During those days, Chihiro's father and mother had searched the entire town for her, asked Chihiro's friends if they had seen her, and even went to the hospitals to check whether she had been abmitted. Finally, as their last resort, they turned to the police, hoping against hope that they could perhaps find their daughter.  
  
  
  
It was late afternoon, 5:30pm. Yume decided to go back home. She knew that wherever Chihiro was, she had been taken away by force, and not by will. She just wasn't the type to do those kind of things. As she walked past a man wearing a black coat, she never knew what deed he was going to do soon. A deed that if she knew, she would have the shivers down her spine. A deed that was evil and done by the intention of murder just so that nobody could interfere with his plans.   
  
The man's eyes gleamed as he stood in front of the comfy looking blue house. His eyes, the same colour as a piece of cloth that had been bleached, gleamed with madness as he looked around to check if anyone was near or in sight. After doing so, he slowly grinned a malicious grin and raised his hand with his palm facing the house. The occupants in the house never knew what hit them.   
  
All they felt was heat and tremendous heat only.   
  
All they saw was a bright orangy-red.  
  
After that, they knew nothing else as their black, charred bodies fell to the flaming ground. The flames danced around them, licking at their corpses. The blue house slowly burned, till all that was left was a pile of burnt wood, and laying underneath them, two corpses.   
  
The corpses of Mr. and Mrs. Ogino.  
  
The corpses of Chihiro's parents.   
  
The corpses that were burned by the hands of cruelty, madness and malicous. The man, or rather, the being laughed cruelly as he turned and walked away, his balack coat billowing behind him.   
  
Renshi smiled as he accomplished his mission...The mission to kill Ogino Chihiro's parents so that they would not be able to tour around the town, searching for their precious daughter. Even if they had informed the police of their missing daughter, the police would have a bigger case on their hands now...  
  
  
  
The murder of Ogino Kenji and his wife.  
  
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New chapter here! O, thank you for all the reviews!  
  
  
  
inuyasha0001 --- Thanks a lot for your review and your time to read my fanfic!  
  
Kaoru Gal --- Haha, yeah, I abmit that Renshi is a crazy man! Hopefully the authoress is like him, since I was the one who created him! =P  
  
sh1n --- Hmmm...Many cliffhangers? Haha, I will TRY my best to reduce it. I will try! But I rather like the feeling of cliffhangers! Make you check the fanfic to see if the person had updated or not. Okay, okay, I abmit. I'm cruel! LOL...  
  
Ice Itako --- Well, I have updated it! Here's the new chapter! Hope you enjoy it!  
  
Kintora --- No offence taken. =) And...um...I can't exactly tell you whether or not Haku is going to rescue Chihiro or not, because it will give the plot away. So, hope you can bear with me till I read out my future chapters!  
  
  
  
Well, I will end here! Hope you guys enjoy my chapter 6! Ja ne! ( Goodbye!) 


	9. chpt7

:::Chapter 7:::

The surroundings of the little house were devoid of human life. Only the trees and the little creatures that lived within the forest companied the house. The white, silvery orb of a moon gleamed in the sky, with little stars that peeked out from the fluffy clouds. With the light from the moon shining on the house, one who would pass by would think that it was deserted…that is, if **_someone_** would actually be in such a forest.

The forest was known to be dangerous, not just because of the savage beasts that resided in it, but also of ghost stories that people had circulated around the town. That was why Renshi had chosen this particular place. It was extremely unlikely that someone would enter the forest, thus, the house would be unnoticed to all but the creatures that roamed the forest.

This, however, was quickly solved. Using some of his powers, he had formed a kind of magic shield that circled around the house. Like this, any beast who came by would not be able to spot the house, as the magic would make it seem as if it was just a small clearing, nothing else...

However, the deserted-looking house was not as deserted as it looked. One small little girl was occupying it…with an evil man who came by 3 times a day to check on her. This 15-year-old girl, who had been tortured for a few days, went by the name of 'Chihiro'… 

The police had spent the previous 2 days trying to find some clue on how the murderer had managed to set such a big fire on the Oginos' house without being seen. They had questioned Yume, who had said that she saw a man wearing a black coat walking towards the Oginos' house. She unfortunately, never saw the man's face. The police didn't find any fingerprints or cans of kerosene that had been used to light the fire. They were puzzled by it, and having no clues, the case was very difficult to tackle.

Having a much more serious case on their hands, the police decided to send another group of policemen to search for the Ogino's missing daughter. However, since the new group of policemen was new to the case, they had to spend some time getting themselves familiarised. Thus, the search for the missing Ogino Chihiro was taking longer than should be...

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**_Anything could happen during the prolonged period of time…Anything._**

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Hey, I know this is a very, very short chapter, but I have decided that the next part of the story is better in a new chapter! Wonder whether is this chapter bad? I somehow find that it is a bit lacking….Sorry if I have caused any inconveniences. Well, what are you waiting for?! Head on to the next chappie! ^o^  I will put all my thanks and author notes in the next chapter!

*Astgal*


	10. chpt8

:::Chapter 8:::

Her dull eyes stared at the dark ceiling, not taking anything in. Renshi had just left the room, leaving her body bloodied. During the recent round of torture, Chihiro didn't scream when the black whip, which was charged with electricity from Renshi's magic, came in contact with her skin, leaving behind a bloody cut. Her eyes didn't even show the slightest feeling of pain. 

Chihiro was numb. Having screamed in pain during the first few rounds of torture, she had slowly shut down her mind to the pain. Instead, all that went through her head was of moments spent with Haku. Every time when Renshi had asked her if she was willing to be with him, she had barely registered the question before she subconsciously said "No".

Renshi would then torture her. Beat her, whipped her, punched her. Everything would be in vain as she still refused to be his. Lately, he had grown frustrated, angry. He had started to use his magic on his torture tools, thus inflicting more pain.

No matter what Renshi did to Chihiro lately, she would always just stare at the ceiling, slowly waiting until the one-hour of torture passed by. Renshi would then leave the room, heading towards the living room to do God-knows-what.

Chihiro wished that she could find some way to escape. In fact, whenever Renshi whipped her, she ran through methods of escaping in her head. But once the torture session was over and she was brought back into reality, she realised, with frustration, anger and sadness, that she could never, **_ever_** get pass the door of her room.

She was always tied to her bed with ropes that were tied with magic.

Chihiro was hungry. Renshi had not been feeding her for the past few days, probably hoping that by doing so, she would agree to be his. __

_'Ha! As if I will actually bow to him in submission. Never! I will only agree to be Haku's. No one else…' _Chihiro thought, as images of food flowed through her mind soon after. So deep in thought was she, that when the door opened, she didn't even notice it.

Renshi walked in, an arrogant smile on his face. He hoped that Chihiro would agree to be his that day. He opened his mouth, ready to ask his repeating question when Chihiro interrupted him.

" No means no, Renshi. Do you **_not_** understand the meaning of no?" Chihiro spoke up, her once numb, dull eyes looking at him with a newfound strength.

Renshi was surprised. He had thought that the few days of not eating would weaken her. Slowly, a grin filled his face. He would be more than happy to break her once again…

" Well, if that's your answer, I hope you are prepared for the next one hour…"

He slowly walked forward, as his black whip suddenly had flames along it. His black hair shifted around his eyes as he looked up, raising his whip. His eyes shone with malicious that made her frightened. 

The sound of the whip echoed throughout the room…

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Argh, this chapter is also kind of short! Man, I'm tired now…almost fell asleep just now. =) This chapter is probably boring… Anyway, school today was ssoooo boring. This probably accounts to my tiredness. Well, r&r please!

inuyasha001 – Well, here's a new chapter! Or rather, **_two _**new chapters! Heh heh… Hope you don't find these boring!

Smiley-chan – Lol… Thanks for you review! Here's two chapters fresh out of the oven! =P

Anime-Mastah -- I'm actually following Chihiro's…erm...what do you call it? Chihiro's life now. I will write on Haku after he and Chihiro meet up again, 'cause that's where he's kind of important.

Himeko – Arigatou! Thanks for your review! I will try my best to update once or twice every week, okay? =)

SilverMoons BlackWings – Here's new chapters! Can't have you falling sick! Well, hope you enjoy my chappies! And many thanks for you review!

That's it, guys! Many thanks to those people who read yet never reviewed too! Must have taken up some of your time, ne? =) Bai bai! ( Byebye in Chinese)

*Astgal* 


	11. chpt9

**:::**Chapter 9**:::**

One thing about magic is that, no matter how strong it is, it will wear off after a while. The stronger the magic being cast, the longer it will stay. This was a fact that Chihiro Ogino had just found out, not too long ago, for herself. At the beginning, the ropes around her wrists and legs were extremely tight that the blood circulation was almost cut off. Then, her hands and legs were able to move just a slightest bit, but it was **_still _**a movement. It was almost like a spark of light in the darkness of her current world.

Renshi, her kidnapper, had been too over-confident to actually dismiss the fact that his magic, like every other magic-caster, would wear off one day. Being too foolish, arrogant or absent-minded, Chihiro didn't care. To her, all that mattered was that he forgot to re-cast the spell that held her binds together magically. Having being in that dreadful place for almost a month, she could stand it no longer. The magic around the ropes was so weak that the binds were actually very, **_very_** loose. So loose that she could actually make her escape.

Slowly, as her thoughts wandered form one to another, Chihiro recalled that day when Renshi had bragged to her about her parents' death. It was about a week ago…

**:::** _Flashback _**:::**

_He had entered her room, a malicious smile on his face. Chihiro had often wondered whether she was supposed to be sad or angry in such a situation, sad that everyone would be missing her and angry that she was actually being held against her will._

_He had a very smug look on his face. Somehow, the look of it made Chihiro's stomach turn over, an uneasy feeling looming over her. _

_" Guess what I did yesterday?" Renshi had asked, continuing when Chihiro made no motions to reply. " Got rid of your precious family, Chihiro, lest they meddle in my matters. Aren't you going to thank me? I got rid of your bothersome parents so that you can be mine!"_

_His eyes snapped wide open at the end of his last sentence. He stared at Chihiro, tied against the bed. ' She's helpless.' He thought smugly. ' She will one day give in to me.'_

_Chihiro was mourning for her parents, soon after the news was broken to her. She felt guilt; guilty that she was the cause of her parents' death. Her mind was swirled with different emotions. Like different colours on a piece of paper, each colour represents a different thing. Her guilt gave way to anger and frustration. She didn't even bother to yell at Renshi when he left her room, too blinded in anger was she._

_So that was how she spent her entire week, alternating between mourning for her parents and cursing at Renshi in her mind. Even she thought of different ways Renshi could be killed, just so that it could vent her frustration for being so helpless, like a rat caught by the cat._

_Yet at night, when she slept and dreamt of dreams, she dreamt that Haku, her shining dragon of armor in this case, had come to rescue her. She would then be hugged tightly in his warm arms, like a safe haven, while he protected he. Then, just when Haku was about to speak, one thing or another would wake her up. It was either who Renshi had come into her room to torture her or some owl who hooted loudly in the nearby distance. _

_Chihiro then came to a hard reality, that no matter what, Haku would not be able to know that she was in trouble. He being in the Spirit World prevented so._

**:::**_ Flashback ended _**:::**

Chihiro had enough of mourning. She had actually come to a conclusion that maybe, just **_maybe, _**Renshi had lied to her just so that she could be co-operative. Her binds were loose now. When Renshi had came into her room earlier on, it took almost all her will to not jump out of bed and just run mindlessly, as long as she was far, far away from him.

It was a while since Renshi had left her room. She was lying very still in her bed, waiting for the moment when Renshi would leave the house. ' _Aha!' _She thought as the front door with a slam.' _Finally.' _

Chihiro slowly pulled her limbs from the ropes and got off the bed, cringing slightly as the bed gave a small creak. She opened her door and looked around, finally walking briskly to the front door. She got out of the house, heaving a sigh of relief. At the sight of the dark blue sky where the sun was beginning to rise at the horizon, Chihiro didn't even realize that she was in a forest. Adrenaline pumped through her entire body as she ran, pushing trees out of her way. When she barely realised that she was in some dense forest with animals that could pose a danger to her, she sent a prayer to the beings above…

'_ Wow. Someone up there likes me._' Chihiro thought as she walked down the street leading to her house. She can't believe that she had actually escaped, lest of all out of a forest. Her wandering thoughts were soon stopped however, when she noticed that charred remains replaced where her house had once been. Obviously, her house was burned down. All at once, everything made soul-sickening sense. Renshi had not lied to her. Her parents were dead.

" Mum… Dad… Why?" Chihiro mumbled as scalding tears filled her eyes. " You can't be dead. No, you can't!"

With that, she ran back down the street, yet, she stopped abruptly when she saw an old newspaper in a rubbish bin. What had caught her eyes was the headline title.

" **The murder of Ogino Kenji and his wife. Murderer still at large. **"

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Heh, sooo sorry that I have taken soo long to update this chapter!! * **Ducks from rotten eggs*** Gomen, gomen! I have been lazy lately, what with the holidays starting! Sorry that I kept you guys waiting! And thanks for still continuing to read my little story! Haku will make an appearance in the next chapter! 

Thanks to all the reviewers!

inuyasha0001 --- Here it is~! Enjoy~! 

Kintora --- No problemo~! Haha, yeah. Haku's gonna be real important! No, he's not going to save her. After all, Chihiro had escaped! Oh sorry, I thought " bai bai " also means bye bye, 'cause it is used sometimes in Taiwanese shows! And my friends and I also use it! ^.^ Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter~!

DarkMistyDragon --- Thanks for the review! Here it is! 

Himeko --- Oh, you aren't rude! No offense taken, anyway! Here's one chapter uploaded!

Ujiji --- Thanks for your support! This chapter had taken a long time, ne! Sorry! I'll try to be as frequent as possible! But I was waylaid by talks about IPW! My important project!

Karou_Gal --- Here's the update! Sorry to keep you waiting! Anyway, I think I may be starting a RK fan fic! Please read it if I do! Pretty please! ( But I'm not quite sure yet! ) Arigatou, anyway!

j_mercuryuk --- Lol! High-five! I like to write cliffs in my story, but somehow, I'm desperate when reading stories that are hanging on cliffs! =P Thanks for your review! Thanks very much!

moonlit angel --- Er…Hehe…( Sweatdrops) Haku's not going to save her. Gomen, if that's what you prefer. But don't worry! Haku will do something for her! Something very dangerous! =D

Anyway, that's all readers and reviewers~! Till next week! Hopefully my brother doesn't use this computer so much so I will time to type! 

*Astgal*


	12. chpt10

**:::**Chapter 10**:::**

Pain. 

Or was it even pain that coursed through her entire body?

Chihiro didn't know. The hard cement ground that she ran on barefooted, didn't even registered in her mind, not even the cuts that small rocks made on her feet. No, her mind was numb. In fact, her entire body was numb. Having to deal with being kidnapped and tortured then to find out that her parents were murdered, by her kidnapper no less, was taking its toll on her. 

She ran with no destinations in mind, as trees flew by her. All she knew that she had to get to somewhere, to someone who was her sanctuary and who could protect her. Dusk was approaching as she ran through the forest, taking a route that once seemed to be familiar to her, but was now alien to her.

The green field was slowly filling with water as she still ran forward, making it slower because of the moving water that resisted her every movement. Chihiro dimly knew that she was not meant to be in that place, a place that she had been in before. But, this was the only place left that held comfort for her now.

The restaurants slowly lit up when she passed by, as the sky grew darker by the second. Her feet flew, step by step, as she ignored the shadowy spirits that beckoned her into one of the restaurants. 

The bridge was within her sight, and as though it was granting permission to her, her eyes started to fill tears. Chihiro dashed forward with her remaining strength, not knowing where she got her energy, seeing that Renshi had not even fed her. All she knew was that she had to get across the bridge. She **_had_**_ to. _The urge in her body was impossible to ignore.

She dashed forward and across the bridge, ignoring the gasps that the spirits emitted. Chihiro knew that it was probably because she never held her breath. But she didn't care. All she cared about was to get pass the women, who welcomed the customers, at the front of the bathhouse. 

Chihiro stopped abruptly, as the front door opened to reveal a young man with teal green hair and Yubaba. She took a step forward toward them, then as all her exhaustion and emotional burden came back to her, she fainted while gasping out a name.

" Haku…"

Yubaba pulled the rope that was hanging by her desk as she pulled all her gold into her jewellery box. The door opened to reveal an older version of Haku. Yubaba grew with pride. Within those five years, Haku had grown up into a fine young lad while helping to manage her bathhouse. '_ I'm growing too soft. I can't believe that Zeniba actually influenced me into being good,_' Yubaba thought with mock irritation. '_ Not that I'll admit it. My baby is so close to his aunt I can't bear to severe ties with her._'

" You called for me?"

Yubaba snapped away from her thoughts and quickly put her jewellery box aside. " I felt that someone has intruded into the Spirit World. A human. Go and check it out for me."

" Anything else?"

Yubaba looked out of the window and saw the human running through the bridge that led to he precious bathhouse.

" Never mind. The human's heading for the bathhouse. I'll go and check it out for myself. You will follow me." 

Walking through the front door behind Yubaba, Haku was surprised to see the girl fainting. And even more so when she gasped out his name.

" Haku…"

Rushing forward to help the human, he turned her over to see her face. Something clicked in his mind.

" Chihiro!"

And it was June the 13th 2008. One day before Haku was released from his work at the bathhouse. One more day before he was allowed to go and see Chihiro. 

And now, she was right there, held within the tight circle that his arms had formed around her.

The table flew across the small living room and smashed into pieces. Renshi's eyes blazed with anger as his hands gripped the ropes tightly. He had come home an hour ago and had found **_her_** missing. He **_couldn't_** believe it. 

Refusing to acknowledge the fact that he had forgotten to recast the spell on the ropes, he had taken out his anger on the table and chairs and had ripped the bed sheets into small little pieces.

He moved out of the house, intending to search for Chihiro and make her pay for escaping. He **_would _**make her pay. 

**_Dearly_**.

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Lalala…I'm being a lazy bum…lalala… :) It's been a month, no? * Ducks form knifes and rotten eggs* Hehehe… The holidays are going to end! No!! The horror!! Going back to school! The stress! Hehehe…Well, my stomach's growling. Have...to…eat! ^.^ Hope you'all like this chapter. Thanks for all the reviews!

Kaoru Gal -- Yup! I just made a Rk fan fic! Not many reviews though. But I'll still continue it! 

LIlHaruko -- Hehehe..ya…Renshi's furious! Nah, Haku will make him pay!

inuyasha0001 –- Sorry to make you wait! I'm such a lazy pig! :)

WhiteTigeress326 – Haha…Thanks! *gives you cookies* You may throw rotten eggs at me if I don't update! :P

Lady Shishi-san – Thank you! * Hugs* Look out for more chappies! 

Lillie Frost – Erm…ya, maybe her escape WAS a little to easy. That's why I have a tinny little problem when typing this chapter. But don't worry, Renshi's going to go after her. This time, * cancelled* . You'll have to watch out for updates! *Grins madly*

Kintora -- * Hugs and kisses* Thanks for clarifying! Lol, if she's held hostage forever, Haku's gonna die of heartache! ^o^

Amiko the Cat – Have no fear for the update is here! Haha…lame joke? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

DarkMistyDragon – Tada~! You have your answer! Renshi's going down in the end! Hahaha… Thanks for reviewing! And I hope this chapter is mysterious. Though I doubt so! But next chapter will be! I promise!

Moonmage – Nah, she's only able to not feel pain because she her mind shut down! Hmm..not able to feel pain... I'll see whether I can add it in for the future chapters! Thanks for the idea~!

Ujiji – Haku's here! His butt is intact too~! ^^Thanks for reviewing!

No Name -- Thanks for reviewing! * Gives out sweets*

And on the last note, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! Byebye!

*Astgal*


	13. chpt11

:::Chapter 11:::

The weather was in tune with his emotions, it seemed. Dark gloomy clouds loomed over his head as he flew below them, knowing better than to get caught in one of the lightning strikes. He knew he should not be out, rather, he should be sitting beside **_her _**as she rested. But Haku needed to release his pent-up feelings. From happiness to anger to sadness then…to something that was very dark and dangerous. God, how much he **_wanted_** to kill the person who actually **_dared_** to harm Chihiro. Oh, how much he actually wanted!

The clear liquids fell onto his dragon form, breaking him out of his thoughts. Had it actually rain without him knowing it? Yes, it had. Without another split second, he turned and flew back to the bathhouse. To the room where Chihiro was in. To be beside her when she woke up.

Landing with a soft thud, Haku walked into the entrance, where all the greeting women had gone inside to shield themselves away from the rain. Such weather seemed to keep customers away from the bathhouse, which made his life much easier, not having to attend to duties so that he could help Chihiro as much as he could when she woke up.

He walked up the staircase and turned round a corner, finally stopping in front of **_the_** room. It was the same room that Chihiro had last slept in when she was a child and had ventured into the Spirit World. Oh, the memories, both sweet and bitter at the end when she had to leave for the human world.

Collecting his thoughts, he knocked on the wooden door, before deeming it proper to enter. There she was, laying on the futon that was spread out at the right side of the room. The balcony windows behind it were left open, letting the air in and cooling the room. 

Haku watched her closely as he sat beside her. Her face was pale, the bruises were a stark contrast and thus, making it appear darker than it was supposed to be. Zeniba had tried to heal as many of the bruises as possible, but some was just so…**_impossible_** to heal with magic. It had to heal on its own.

And now, it was the time to begin his vigil beside his beloved. But did she have the same feelings for him? He dismissed the thoughts. He would tell her his when the time was right.Praying, for the very first time in his entire river spirit life, that she would be okay and that the bruises would hurt a lot when she woke up. 

Night turned into daylight. He only knew this by the light shining inside the room. Had he actually spent the entire night watching over Chihiro? The other women had left to be with her privately as they went to sleep in another empty room; that being the boiler room. He did not care.

It was only when the sun was high up in the middle of the sky did Chihiro's eyes fluttered open. Then within a second, she winced as the pain from all the bruises and cuts she had rushed through her. 

" Hey, you woke up. **_Don't_** try to move. I think the bruises still hurt badly. Hold on, I'll get Kamaji and Rin for you."

She turned her head slowly and caught sight of the person turning around and heading for the door. It took a moment for her sleep brain to pinpoint who it was.

" Haku! I've really gotten into the Spirit World! It wasn't a dream! I missed you all so much!"

Haku turned back and smiled at her. " No, it wasn't a dream. I miss you too. But for now, don't talk so much. You need to conserve your energy."

Then, with a final smile, he turned back to the door and walked out, intent on the finding Kamaji and Rin –which wasn't so hard to figure out where they were) and finding some food for Chihiro.

And that was when the nightmare for Chihiro began…

He had only just walked back and was only three yards away from the door, with Rin and Kamaji behind him, when he heard it. Sobbing. Pitiful cries that he knew were coming from Chihiro.

Passing the bowl of soup to Rin, he ran into the room, only to see Chihiro cuddled in a ball as she hugged herself. Throwing himself beside her, he wrapped his arms around her, trying his best to comfort and ease the tears away from her eyes.

" Shh…Don't cry. I'm here, Rin and Kamaji are here too. We will not like the guy who hurt you come near you again. Shh…"

" H-ha-k-ku?" A timid voice came from beneath his arms. He released her only to pull her arms away from her face. The red puffy eyes that stared back at him displayed fear, pain and sadness.

" I-I thought you were just a dream! I always thought you were there when Renshi was having his "session" with me! An illusion. And then I thought I really had succeeded in coming to the Spirit World. I had woken up and saw you there. But when I looked around, I saw that it was empty, and I thought it was just the dream that I always wanted to happen," Chihiro said, her eyes tearing at the end, as Haku, Rin and Kamaji hugged her tightly to them.

" Here, have some soup. We were worried about you, you dope! We thought you were dead when we saw you pale and covered with all those nasty blue-black!" Rin handed her the bowl of warm soup and a piece of cloth to wipe away her tears.

Kamaji came forth and placed a bowl of hot water beside the soup, " After finishing the soup, mix these," He placed the two small sachets next to the hot water. " with the hot water then drink it. By the time you've finished the soup it will have been warm. The medicine in the sachets will help to ease away the pain."

Looking over at the three of them, she obediently drank both the soup and the medicine, wincing as the wound on her jaw protested against the movement. '_ I'm here! Here in the Spirit World! Oh God, I'm **really**_ _right here in the bathhouse!_' Her hands shook with relief and the others noticed it when the bowl trembled against the floor when she placed it back down.

" Thank you for taking care of me. I really appreciate it."

" You are our friend. A very close one of mine. Come, I've got to bring you to Yubaba now that you're awake. Believe it or not, she was the one who suggested that you g et a contract with her to work in this bathhouse so that you are able to stay in the Spirit World. That is, if you want to?" Haku asked worriedly as he helped her to stand. Rin had gone to the kitchens to wash the bowl while Kamaji went to prepare a bath for Chihiro after her visit to Yubaba's chambers.

'_ A **close**_ _friend? Only a close friend? I thought…I thought we were more than that? Weren't we? Or was it all my imagination? May be it was only wishful thinking on my part. A person like Haku can get **anyone**. Why me? Why me, now that I've been abused by Renshi? Why?'_

" Chihiro? Chihiro? Are you all right? Where does it hurt?" She looked up to see the same golden knocker that was on Yubaba's door. Ah, that time when she was only ten and had been dragged inside this very same room. She wished she could go back to that time when at least she thought she was loved by Haku… Dreams were sometimes a better world to live in rather than reality, where everything crashed down on you.

" I was just…woolgathering. That's all."

" Who's out there? Hmm…Haku, Chihiro, please, come in. But don't make so much noise. My baby's still sleeping," The knocker's mouth opened and the voice came out of it, echoing in the silent hallway.

The twin doors burst open, one by the other, the lights lighting up to show the way.They both walked inside, Haku having his arms around Chihiro to support her. They walked slowly and as they turned the final corner, they saw Yubaba sitting on her desk, with the three green heads bouncing up and down beside her table.

" Chihiro, I hope that you are well. Zeniba had tried her best to heal most of your wounds. But some were very hard so your body had to heal on its own. It was late so she went back to tend to No-Face and tell him about you. I expect her to be back the day after tomorrow. Now, sit down," Yubaba waved her hands at them and two comfy chairs appeared right behind them.

" I'll have you know that no one who stays in my bathhouse get stay for free. And you're no customer. So, you know the rules. You'll work at my bathhouse till you feel like going back to the human world, seeing as you have your family there. As of now, why don't you sign the contract and tell me what happened. I assumed whoever who did that to you was in the human world. He also has incredible strength, almost to that of a spirit."

" Will I get to keep my name?" Chihiro asked softly as the paper settled on her lap, the fire behind her burning brightly to provide the light that she needed. She asked the next question absently," And how did you know that it was a spirit?" 

" Yes, you'll get to keep it. You are one special girl, in fact you are the only girl who ever get to walk out of Spirit World still in human form- Did you **_say_** it was a **_spirit_**? How come I didn't know of it? I would have sensed it if anyone did that!" Yubaba's eyes went wide as she came to a realisation. " The spirit must have been powerful to mask his presence. I want to know everything there is to know, including what he did to you." 

She spent the next hour telling them everything, once in a while wincing when she remember the pain on her body. The only comfort that she got was from Haku, whenever he soothed her wrecked emotions by stroking the back of her hand. The emotionless two weeks that she had was scary to her. She could not have believed that pain was able to shut down her mind to its presence. 

Yubaba clasped her hands together on the desk, the rings shinning brightly in the firelight.

" We'll help you find him. This guy, Renshi, must be captured not only for hurting you, but also for crossing the barrier between the two worlds. He will be taught a lesson. So, after that, are you going home?" Yubaba asked softly, in fear of waking up her precious baby.

The next words that came out of Chihiro's mouth were cold, in fact, they were emotionless. " My parents are dead. Killed in a fire that was set up Renshi. I only found out on the day I arrived in Spirit World. As far as I know, I've got no relatives. Only a best friend. I've decided to stay here."

Haku spoke up for the first time, " Maybe your best friend might want to come too? Maybe you want to consider that. But, that enough for today. You will have bath then rest the remaining of the day to recuperate."

Steering her to the door, he told Yubaba," Tell Bady Boh that Chihiro's back. I bet he wants to see her."

" I can't believe Yubaba's changed so much! She's much nicer than before."

Haku smiled at the incredulous look on her face, " Zeniba's been visiting her nephew frequently. She must have rubbed off of Yubaba. Baby Boh and her are ver close and thus, Yubaba must be civil to her sister. Go down to the room on the bottom floor, where all the baths are. Kamaji has drawn a bath for you. He said that it will help to relax your muscles."

Relaxing in the bath a few moments later, Chihiro drifted to sleep. Rin had gone to check on her when she didn't respond to her call and had woken her up. That night was the only night in the past few weeks that she had sweet dreams of being in a land filled with happiness…and Haku was right beside her. The Haku that she thought loved her…

But it wasn't meant to be, she realised one week later. It had only been one week where she lived in peace. But it wasn't meant to be because unless Renshi was out of the picture, then she could never get some peace. Yubaba and Zeniba had tried their best to locate where Renshi was. But he could not be found when he didn't want to. A letter in her work clothes had confirmed that. She still didn't even know how he had managed to put the letter in her clothes.

__

You naughty girl,

I'll always get what I want. Don't forget that. You've been **very** _naughty. Naught girls need to be punished._

R~.

()()()()()()()()()()()

*Yawn* Finally, it's done! It isn't boring is it? . School just started two weeks ago and it's been so busy all week long! And I even vomited yesterday in school. Yuck! Food poisoning. Hiaz, it was so painful I thought I would pass out. Anyway, see that button on the bottom left? Yesh! Review please. And since I'm sleepy, and it's late. I can't write long replies to the reviews! Sorry, but will write next time! Thanks to : Kintora, Kaoru Gal, Daelin,Singing Shadow of the Deeps, Tamara-sama, Saroku, Ujiji, momo girl, Kenshin Himura, Chihiro-loves-Haku.

*Astgal*

__


	14. AN

Okay~~!!! Argh, there's some problems with the second computer! I think it's something to do with the monitor. Thus, (I let you guess the reason) ….1…2…3~! Yes, I can't update 'cause the next chapter is already saved at the second computer!!! Nooooooo… Sorry guys, really. I just hope that by the time my brother fixes it, it's still there…Oh, by the way, if you haven't figured it out, this is an author's note. =P Hehehe… Anyway, I'm sorry to keep you all waiting. 

But I will try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible! ( I'll try to squeeze time between IPW meetings, Guide meetings- which includes fencing drill and Speech Day marching- , and Tuition) Ahhh…a hectic life!!! Hehe…Byebye!

*Astgal*


	15. chpt12

:::Chapter 12:::

They looked at each other, serious and sympathetic looks on their faces save for Chihiro. The birds chirped outside and the train ran past. The wind rustled the bushes and shrubs in the gardens as the sound of the greeting women at the entrance could be faintly heard.

"Come, child. Let's go see Baby Boh. Rin, can you please go down to the kitchens to bring us some food? I'll bet that we all are hungry." The soothing words, said in Zeniba's granny voice, broke the heavy sullenness in Yubaba's room. 

Chihiro slowly nodded her head, but still refused to look up from the ground since she told the others of the little note, having no wish to let the others see the tears in her eyes. She had cried enough to last her a lifetime. 

Haku, Rin, Zeniba and Yubaba were all assembled, when Chihiro had been so panicked as she ran around in the bath house looking for them, almost scaring all the customers half to death. She had been shivering all over, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her little white fists with the blood drained from her face. Rin was wiping the floors in a room when the door slammed open violently, and in rushed a small tornado in the form of a young girl…

****

:::_Flashback_**:::**

__

The water splashed back into the wooden pail as Rin squeezed them out of the cloth. She could hear raising voices outside the room she was cleaning in, and a few indignant shrieks. Disinterested, she placed the cloth back onto the slightly damp floor and couched down and started to wipe it again. She had barely made one step forward when the door slammed open and the vibrations made were so strong that it caused the water to hit the insides of the pail.

Rin turned around, an annoyed and irritated look on her pretty face, when a blurry form came speeding in. The piece of cloth she held fell on to the floor, when she took in the sight of Chihiro's wild brown eyes and her pale face and tousled hair.

Before Rin had any time to react to Chihiro's sudden appearance, the girl ran across then slid on her knees just in time to stop by her side. Throughout all this, she kept muttering, "No…no…no…no…"

"What's wrong?" Her voice was concerned as she abandoned her work and gave her full attention on the trembling human.

Chihiro slowly extended her hand and uncurled her fingers as a small note fluttered on to the ground; the written side facing up, allowing Rin to see the contents.

Abruptly, she hastily picked it up and, taking Chihiro by the elbow, led her to Yubaba's office where she and her sister were in. Zeniba had arrived in the bathhouse and had stayed for the past week since then. 

Quickly ordering a girl to call Haku to go to Yubaba's office, she stepped into the lift and the doors closed behind her.

****

:::_Flashback ended_**:::**

The bowls of rice were taken up, Rin had left to go back to work and still, Haku remained seating stonily in his chair, Yubaba facing him at her jewel-laden desk. Her sister and Chihiro were outside, along with Baby Boh, as they played in the gardens. Yubaba had allowed Baby Boh to go out ever since her came back with Chihiro on her trip to her sister, five years ago. Amazingly, but a bit logically, it had left Baby Boh much healthier than before; being able to run about rather than stay cropped up in his room.

The hard expression on Haku's face gave way into one of rage when he heard Chihiro's light laughter floating in from the open balcony doors. He shot out of his chair, and began do something he had never done before a long time.

__

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud.

This went on for a long time and was starting to cause a headache in Yubaba's head. A Yubaba having a headache was not the best sight to see her be in. Gradually, smoke started to come out of her nose, followed by bright orange fire.

"Will you sit down and **_stop_** pacing in front of me? Maybe instead of wasting time on such a meaningless thing, you can help me to think! " She snapped irritably, the fire flaring out with each word.

Haku looked at her for a moment, a startled look in his teal-green eyes. He stood stock-still for a moment, standing there as though he was being in danger if he moved. Then, swiftly turning towards the balcony doors, he hurried over.

Yubaba looked at him, the fire disappearing with a burst of smoke. 

"Where are you going?"

"Searching for more information on this Renshi guy. In order to put the note in Chihiro's pocket, he will have to be back in Spirit World. He's bound to be seen by other spirits." He replied nonchalantly, changing into his majestic dragon form and just flew off.

The mistress of the bathhouse sat there for a moment. Her eyebrows furrowed, causing more wrinkles to appear on her forehead. ' _I hope that the customers aren't scared away by Chihiro_,' the ever money-minded Yubaba thought absently, her hands absently turning the emerald gem in her hands over and over repeatedly. 

Without warning, the gem was thrown back into the jewellery box and her fingers picked up the skeleton phone and called for the foreman in the bathhouse.

"Hello? I need you to send people all over the land to look out for a guy, called Renshi. His eyes are white, no pupils," Her voice drawled into the phone, as the jaw of the skeleton moved. "I want them to be people trustworthy. If not, no salary for three months!" The threat hung in the empty air as the other end quickly put it down. 

Yubaba smirked, knowing that right then, the foreman was already going through a list of possible spies. She ignored the three green heads thumping up and down on the carpet as she stared unblinkingly into the fireplace. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A black-haired man with the white eyes you mentioned was staying here two days ago. But I'm not sure if he's the one you're looking for, though I haven't seen one with such eye colour around here." The shopkeeper of the inn replied back nervously, Shifting on his feet as he remained in his bowed position in front of Haku,

Hands clutched tightly at his shoulders as the shopkeeper found himself looking into Haku's eyes. 

"What **_else_** did he say or do when he was here?" Haku all but hissed it out, eyes spitting out fire. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the flesh he held in his grip.

"H-he said that he-he had so-something to at-attend to. He a-also borrowed a p-piece o-of pen a-and paper from m-me," The fat man sputtered, his eyes growing wide with fear. 

The shopkeeper found himself thrown into a chair behind him, expecting to find places that hurt but was shocked that there wasn't, and looked up only to see a ribbon of silver in the blue sky.

One thing registered into his numb mind, '_ Dragon…_'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haku landed gently onto the grass beside Chihiro. He memorised her soft laugh into his head and turned over to look at her. 

'_No one else's like you. You re unique, beautiful and worth much, much more…_' He took in her face and expressive eyes. '_ I'll tell you soon. After all this ends._'

"Haku…Haku? Haku!" He broke out of his stupor and looked up at her.

"What?"

"It's going to be dawn soon so there will be fewer customers. Let's go visit Kamaji. It's been a long time." Pulling him along, she headed towards the door that would take her into the bathhouse. 

Walking along with her, his hand holding hers tightly yet gently, he felt a shiver went up his spine. A while after that, the shrubs near them rustled with the force of the blowing wind. 

'_It's just the wind…._'

He turned behind to check the surroundings before the door closed and prevented him from viewing the outside. 

The shrubs remained silent. A rat ran passed. Other than that…nothing was out of the ordinary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His fringe obscured his view slightly, yet he took no notice of it. His eyes were focused on the '_Dragon-boy's_' back, as he so often called him. The fire blazing in them made the eyes turn a reddish shade.

He saw a rat nearby and tried to grab it to rid his anger on, but it ran out of his reach to the opposite end of the gardens. '_ Damn animal_.'

He looked up as the thud of a door resounding in the empty space, saved for only shrubs and him.

He looked at the rat, whose red eyes glowed in the dark, with only the faint moonlight showing the shadowy outline of the animal. 

'_I guess it's back to the cat-and-mouse game…_' Renshi's eyes flickered with excitement. He flew upwards, and upwards till a balcony was in front of him. He slid the door open and landed inside the empty room. 

" I see this is the where the working women sleeps in. No doubt **_she's_** sleeping here too."

He chuckled.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Okie, I know it's a long, long time since God-only-knows-when. I think one of these days I'm going to commit suicide. =) I've been going home late these few weeks 'cause of school, project meetings, or Guides activities. It's so darn tiring. *Phew* Anyway, typing fanfiction usually gives me satisfaction. But unfortunately, school life is taking up my time! Anyway, it's taken me roughly one and a half-week or more to type this chapter, because of time limitations and exhaustion. So I really, really hope you all can bear with my future chapters as they may take quite a while. =) Wow, long paragraph. =P 

Anyway, back to these people :

Kaoru Gal : Yeah, it's fixed. Finally!! ^-^ *Distributes sweets* 

Icy AngelWings : ARIGATOU!!! Thanks very, very, very much for liking this fic!!! Luv ya! *MUACKZ*

Hoshi-chan2 : Here's one for ya!

Irk : Thank you!! ^.^ I really appreciate your spending time to review!

Tamara-sama : Lol…Sorry you had to wait so ling for this chapter… Anyway, thanks for continuing to read the fic!

Lillie Frost : Arigatou!!!!! ^.^

Lillie Frost : Lol, maybe if you forget it, it's better? 'Cause you can forget all the pain. Hehe…Sometimes forgetfulness is a good thing! =D

Ujiji : Here it is! Tada~! Now gimme $1000 for writing this! Lol, just kidding! =P

Kintora : Arigatou for understanding!!!!! Aww… hope that school for you now is not so busy! And the answer to your previous question…it's in this chappie! *Hugz!*

IlHaruko : Thank you!! * Hugz~* Yup, not going to stop this fic ever! Not on my dead body! ^o^

Anyway, this chapter's to all of you reviewers and readers!! Hope you like! Hahaha…and always live each day with a smile~! =) P.S --- I have a new Rk fan fic! Please read if you're interested! Thankz!

Also, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Too bad I dun have a boyfriend... =P


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